Receiver-dryer for refrigeration systems



Dec. 8, 1970 l D. R. GRAHL 3,545,227 RECEIVERDRYER FOR REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS Filed Jan. e, 1969 I i f/nw Fig.

IMvENToR DARWIN R. GRAHL ATTORNEY United States Patent O M' 3,545,227 RECEIVER-DRYER FOR REFRIGERATION e s e SYSTEMS i Darwin R. Grahl, 15129 Hook Hollow Road, Novelty, Ohio 44072 Filed Jan. 6, 1969, Ser. No. 789,176 Int. Cl. F25b 43/00 U.S. Cl. 62-474 i 11 `Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A refrigeration receiver-dryer cylinder having a fitting with an axially extending body portion `attached to the top of the cylinder. The axialbody portion has side by side inlet and outlet passage portions that permit the axial body portion to be of minimum cross section dimension. The fitting body is centered on the cylinder top and the passage portions are each oiiset from the center of the cylinder. A tube has its upper end attached to the outlet passage at the latters off-center location and is bent so that its lower end is central of the cylinder and 3,545,227 Patented Dec. 8, 1970 ICC The receiver-dryer has a cylindrical body 11 closed at its top and bottom by caps 12, 13, that are brazed thereto, although the top cap could be formed integrally with the cylinder body. Top cap 12 has a central opening 14 closed by `a fitting 17 that is brazed thereto. Fitting 17 comprises a body portion 18 having inlet and outlet Y adapters 19, 20 brazed thereto and respectively providing passes through centrally located openings in desiccant supporting baille plates within the cylinder. One ofthe baille plates is supported by a self-locking clip on thetube.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Refrigeration receiver-dryer cylinders receive a mixture of liquid and gas from the system, remove any water that is present and store the liquid refrigerant for return to the system through a tube that extends from the bottom of the cylinder to a fitting at its top. The fitting has a body with inlet and outlet passages communicating with the cylinder interior and the tube connects to the outlet passage and extends downward through a pair of spaced baille plate having desiccant material therebetween. Heretofore such receiver-dryer cylinders have been formed either with the outlet passage in the fitting body located on the center line of the cylinder so that a straight tube connected to the outlet port can pass centrally through the plates, or with both the outlet passage and the baille plate openings olf-center so that a straight tube connected to the outlet passage will pass through the plates. In the first of these arrangements the fitting body is of greater diameter, and hence greater cost. In the second arrangement it is expensive to make the baille plates with the oit-center holes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a receiver-dryer that is more economical to manufacture than previous forms. This is accomplished by making the inlet and outlet passages in the fitting body equidistantly offset from the central longitudinal axis so that the body may be of minimum cross section dimension and providing on-center openings in the baille plates through which the tube extends. The tube is bent during assembly of the parts so that its upper end will connect to the oli-center outlet passage and its lower end will pass through the on-center openings in the baille plates. Furthermore, one of the baille plates is brazed to the cylinder at the same time that other parts of the assembly are brazed and the other baille plate is held in position by a simple self-locking clip on the tube.

DESCRIPTION FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross section view of the receiver-dryer.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the fitting.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the top cap.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the clip.

inlet and outlet passages 21, 22 for connection to the evaporator and compressor of the refrigeration system.

Inlet and outlet passages 21, 22 include axial bore portions 24, 25. At its lower end bore 25 is counterbored as at 26 and at its upper end is closed by a sight glass 32 secured in body 18 by a threaded bushing 33.

In order to make fitting body 18 of minimum cross section dimension for greatest economy in material usage, body 18 is made from rectangular bar stock with minimum cross section dimension for accommodating outlet adapters 119, 20 and the axial bores 24, 25. This makes it necessary that the centers of the latter be equidistantly oilset from the longitudinal central axis of litting body 18, as shown. Because cap opening 14 in which body 18 is inserted is central of cap 12, bores 24, 25 are likewise oil-center relative to the longitudinal axis of cylinder p body 11.

At its lower end iitting body 18 is turned so as to have a pair of curved sides 34, 35 while sides 36, 37 are straight and parallel. Cap opening 14 is shaped to match the lower end of fitting 18 so as to receive the same with a close lit, the opening being generally rectangular with curved sides 38, 39 and straight parallel sides 40, 41.

Within the cylinder are spaced upper and lower circular baille plates 46, 47 having a plurality of perforations or slots 48, 49 and having respective central open ings 52, 53. Upper plate 46 is fixed to cylinder 11 by brazing or other suitable means and lower plate 47 has a slide iit within the cylinder. Adjacent the plates are liber glass pads 55, 56 and between the pads is granular desiccant material 57.

A tube 60 is brazed within iitting counterbore 2'6 whereby its upper end is offset from the longitudinal axis of cylinder 11. The tube is bent as at 61 and 62 so that its lower end is centered within cylinder 11 and passes through baille plates 46, 47. Lower plate 47 is retained in its position against iiber glass pad 56 by a clip 65 having slits 66 therein that form spring fingers 67 that engage tube 60. Because of its frusto-conical shape clip 65 may be readily moved upwardly on tube 60 to engage plate 47 but lingers 67 lock on the tube to prevent downward movement of the clip except when the lingers are spread apart with a suitable tool.

Bending of tube 60 at 461 and 62 can be accomplished either` before or at the time that: tube '60 is assembled to fitting 17 and in either case can be accomplished at` a cost that is less than the additional cost involved in either making fitting body 18 of a larger diameter `with outlet passage portion 25 on-center or in making baille plate holes 52, 53, and the holes through the fiber glass pads, off-center.

I claim:

1. A receiver-dryer comprising a generally cylindrical body having upper and lower end walls, a fitting attached to the upper end wall and having inlet and outlet passages, each passage having an inner portion communicating with the interior of the cylindrical body, said inner portions being in side by side relation, upper and lower perforated baille plates Within the cylindrical body and extending radially across the same, desiccant material between the plates, a tube having a lower portion extending through said plates centrally of the cylindrical body and an upper portion connected to said inner portion of the outlet passage, said inner portion of the outlet passage where it is connected to the tube being radiallyH offset from the central axis of the cylindrical body.

2. The receiver-dryer of claim 1, in which the inner portion of the inlet passage is also radially offset from the axis of the cylindrical body.

` 3. The receiver-dryer of claim 1 in which the tube has a bend between the upper plate and the tting whereby the axis of the tube upper portion is parallel to the axis of the tube lower portion.

4. The receiver-dryer of claim 1 in which the inner portion of the inlet passage is radially oiset from the central axis of the housing the same distance as the inner portion of the outlet passage.

5. The receiver-dryer of claim 1 in which one of the plates is fixed to the cylindrical body and the other is slidable in the cylindrical body and supported by a selflocking means that engages the tube.

6. The receiver-dryer of claim 1 in which the fitting is generally rectangular in horizontal cross section.

7. The receiver-dryer of claim 1 in which the lower end of the fitting has a pair of parallel straight sides and a pair of curved sides and the upper end wall has an opening corresponding in shape to said lower end of the lfitting and receiving the same.

8. A receiver-dryer comprising a cylindrical body having an upper end and a lower end, a fitting mounted on the upper end and having inlet and outlet passages cornmunicating with the interior of the cylindrical body, upper and lower balile plates within the cylindrical body and extending -thereacrossand having. Adesiccant .material therebetween, one of the plates having a fixed position in the cylindrical body and the other plate being slidable relative thereto, and self-locking means xing the position of the slidable plate. i Y v i 9. The receiver-dryerof claim 8 in which the 'upper plate is xed to the `cylinder body and the self-locking means engages the lower plate and the tube.

10. The receiver-dryer of -claim 8` in which the selflocking means comprises afrusto-conical spring washer engaging the slidable plate and the tube and permits movement of the slidable plate in one direction on the tube but not in the other direction.

11. The receiver-dryer of claim 8 in which the selflocking means comprises a frusto-conical washer having spring ngers that releasably engage the tube.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Jones 62--474X WILLIAM J. WYE, Primary Examiner v Us. C1. X.R. 62-85, 475 

